Should there be a boycott of Bill Maher as well?

[LoZoccolo]

[Frances]

1. Did Maher ask a woman who expressed an opinion

to make a video of herself having sex and post it online so he and his followers could drool over the video?

[TheWraith]

6. I believe the OP is referring to Maher's defense of Limbaugh.

Maher said that people should just accept the apology and let the thing drop.

[Taverner]

24. That's not saying he agrees with him

It's more like "Let's just give Limbaugh some more rope and point him to the rafters"

[mac56]

25. +1

[TheWraith]

39. No, it's saying "Hey, let's give him a free pass."

Maher is saying "Let's abandon the progress we've made this time, for the first time, in getting Limbaugh sent to Coventry."

[Taverner]

40. I disagree - but to each his own

[godai]

2. He just donated $1 M to Obama's SuperPAC! n/t

[applegrove]

29. +1

[Pisces]

3. Why?

[LoZoccolo]

16. He said that people should accept Rush Limbaugh's apology.

[rsmith6621]

4. Bill Maher Is a Comedian/Entertainer...

...He is kinda a more R rated version of John Stewart.... He also is on Cable.

SO NO.

[tularetom]

19. Well, I'd question whether or not he is a comedian

But I agree he shouldn't be boycotted.

Neither should Limbaugh for that matter. It wouldn't do any good. How the hell would someone like me boycott rush limbaugh. I never listen to him in the first place so WTF is going to change. And that's true for most Democrats/"liberals". I agree that calling his sponsors is worthwhile but you gotta know there are plenty of bottom feeder companies just drooling at the chance to get an ad on his crappy show. If he had no sponsors at all the Koch bros. would keep him going just so he could keep oinking out his propaganda.

As far as Maher is concerned he has no sponsors to boycott. If you don't like him don't watch him.

[Puregonzo1188]

5. There already was one. And he lost his show when his sponsors pulled-out.

That's why he's on HBO now.

[JackintheGreen]

7. Yup. Free hand of the market and all.

If Rush wants advertisers, he'd better stop it with the nip slips. If he thinks he can get a premium channel to pay him for his bilge, let him try. Not only did Maher do it, but so did Howard Stern.

[itsrobert]

8. No

.

[Bluerthanblue]

9. if he were to do something to warrant it, Yes-

that is the best way we have at our disposal to register our disaproval of what is being done.

It's the power of the people- Boycotts only succeed when the outrage wide-spread, and strongly supported.

[Enrique]

10. go for it

[still_one]

11. maher is on a pay network without advertisers. limbaugh is on public airwaves, big difference.

However, if you remember when Maher was on politically incorrect, which was commercial, he was boycotted and lost his show

[backscatter712]

12. The magic words are Tu Quoque.

The correct response is to use those two words, ignore the flying monkeys howling about Maher, and go right back to relentlessly attacking Limbaugh.

[KamaAina]

13. Absolutely. All his advertisers should drop him at once.

Oh, right. His show is on pay cable. My bad.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Should catapulting rightwing propaganda be alertworthy?

[LoZoccolo]

15. I don't think Bill Maher is on DU.

[Warren Stupidity]

22. not relevant

it could be considered a TOS violation. In my opinion it should be.

[RZM]

27. Oh come on

Debate and discussion require looking closely at what the other side says. Occasionally, some people are going to agree with them. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. While I don't see Maher and Limbaugh's sexist statements as exactly the same, the truth is that Maher has made some questionable statements in the past. And it's not like this is the first we've heard of this. There has been criticism of Maher on DU before - there are posters here who don't much care for him and have never been shy about saying that.

But now that Limbaugh's in trouble and the right is pointing the finger at Maher, those who don't approve of Maher should have posts hidden or possibly even tombstoned? That makes no sense. If it was ok to criticize Maher two years ago, why shouldn't it be ok to do so now? You shouldn't let what the right says determine what you think.

[Warren Stupidity]

44. How is "Bill Maher is not on DU" relevant?

[RZM]

47. I'm not talking about that

I'm talking about your hostility to criticism of Maher because the right is doing it too. Maher has taken criticism from the left for a while now. That shouldn't change just because Rush Limbaugh is in trouble too.

[Warren Stupidity]

48. My hostility is to people here posting rw talking points

either deliberately or because they are clueless.

[RZM]

51. So if the right says something, that should bar anyone on DU from saying it?

Like I said, criticism of Maher's statements about women on DU predates this particular talking point. So who cares if the right is criticizing him now too?

[Warren Stupidity]

54. No if the marching orders of the day are "deflect from rush to maher"

and numerous posts sprout up deflecting from rush to maher I will get rather pissed of at the people who, naively or otherwise, are helping out the cause. Because I despise the cause they are helping.

[RZM]

58. Who gives a shit what their 'marching orders' are?

It's natural for DU to talk about Maher here. For one, like I said, it's a topic that's come up before. Two, it can get boring talking about Rush and only Rush. It's natural for people to contextualize things and move the topic in different directions.

Not everything that happens is because of what the right says and does. The left has it's own issues with Maher and right now, when the sexism of commentators is in the news, is a natural time for that to come back to the surface.

In fact, you could actually stand your argument on its head. Perhaps one of the reasons the right is singling out Maher is because they know that some on the left already had issues with him. You could argue that left-wing criticism of Maher is what made this 'talking point' viable in the first place.

[Warren Stupidity]

59. I do.

[RZM]

60. *Sigh*

Isn't it a bit insulting to tell people who have legitimate concerns with Maher that they shouldn't be expressing those because the right is criticizing him too? It's also a bit self-important as well, as if you're entitled to lecture people on what they should or shouldn't be saying.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

70. see, people who criticize Maher only do so

at the behest of the right wind...the fact that he is, at times, a misogynistic pig couldn't possibly be the reason...

especially to some on this board...

sP

[LoZoccolo]

62. Because he's the one catapulting right-wing talking points now.

[Zalatix]

81. *crickets* LOL!

A lot of people should be wiping some egg off their faces after Bill Maher started defending Limbaugh's "apology".

[DutchLiberal]

69. Maher's so-called 'sexist' remarks are imaginary and made up by humorless & overly sensitive DU'ers.

There are just some people who seem to think women should always be exempt of being made fun of. Making fun of men is okay, to them, but mention a woman and a punchline and they throw a fit...

In all the years I've watched Bill Maher, I've seen him stand up for women's rights time and again, including the past few weeks, when he railed against the Republicans' intentions to regulate a woman's choice on abortion and contraception. To say he's sexist just because he makes jokes about women now and then is a bit ridiculous.

[RZM]

76. They aren't made up

He referred to Sarah Palin as a 'cunt' and a 'dumb twat' in his stand up act. Is that sexist? I would probably say so. I can't say I'm particularly offended by those terms, but I acknowledge that some people are and I respect their feelings on the matter.

http://www.dallasvoice.com/maher-your-beautiful-theater-gonna-long-1070487.html

[LoZoccolo]

31. I'd prefer you start a thread in H&M about it rather than sidetracking this conversation.

[Warren Stupidity]

45. too bad for you.

You start a discussion, you get comments that you might not like.

[corkhead]

17. If I were to boycott every single person I don't agree with 100% of the time

I am going to be awfully lonely.

[Puzzledtraveller]

56. Best reply yet!

[liberal N proud]

18. On what basis?

That he calls out the lies and other atrocities perpetrated by the media and right?

[LoZoccolo]

21. He said that people should accept Rush Limbaugh's apology.

[Major Hogwash]

26. Well, I'm not going to, so there.

I don't watch HBO, so I don't watch Maher.
And I don't care for him, and never did.
He supported Nader in 2000, so I stopped watching him long before he was fired from that one show he had on ABC or CBS back in 2001.

[madrchsod]

37. rush never personally apologized to her

plus rush has`t a clue about adult sexual relations

[LoZoccolo]

38. I use that word very loosely.

[LanternWaste]

42. What precedent is there in post-modern media to boycott

What precedent is there in post-modern media to boycott a person who suggests his viewership accept an apology.

I imagine that whatever the answer(s) we find to that will imply at least one (of many) answers to your most sincere and genuine of queries.

[LoZoccolo]

43. Wouldn't there have to be a first precedent?

[LanternWaste]

52. As opposed to a second precedent?

"Wouldn't there have to be a first precedent..."

As opposed to a second precedent?

[LoZoccolo]

61. I'm saying that the lack of a precedent won't prevent this instance from serving as a precedent.

[emilyg]

28. Primarly for calling women

the c and B word/

[DutchLiberal]

71. I've never heard Maher use the C-word. Ever.

Well, one time, but he was quoting somebody else. He was criticizing (get that, criticizing) the 1950's sitcoms in which men treated women like their subordinates. He was expressing amazement at how it was funny to audiences back then that Ralph Kramden would imply he was gonna beat his wife Alice if she didn't shut up. He was standing up for women in that instance (part of one of his stand-up routines), like he has been doing the past few weeks, against Republicans who want to control women's uteruses.

The B-word... well, he used it as much as he used the D-word (dick) for men, but nobody ever complains about that. It's okay to call men all kinds of shitty names (pig, swine, jackass, asshole), we all know that...

[emilyg]

80. Educate yourself. He did

use the c word.

[DutchLiberal]

86. I said *I* never heard him use the C-word.

So you can keep the condescending tone to yourself.

It turns out he did. Was that tasteful and do I support it? No. Do I think that single instant automatically renders him a sexist and misogynyst? I don't.

[emilyg]

87. I apologize for

sounding condescening. He hates religion and women are not far behind. Peace.

[Schema Thing]

20. Not if I'm the King of the World.

And I am, so no.

[TheManInTheMac]

23. I kinda already do. Don't have HBO. Probably wouldn't watch him if I did.

[godai]

30. Here's what you're missing.

&feature=related

[shcrane71]

41. And that's the main difference between Maher and Limbaugh... Maher's on a subscription service.

I really, really, really don't understand why Limbaugh hasn't been fined yet by the FCC. If Limbaugh wants to on a 9 hour tirade that demonizes a woman, he's more than free to do that on subscription stations. It's a completely different beast when someone is on broadcast stations, or am I just entirely missing something here?

[madrchsod]

36. i`ve boycotted him since the first show i watched

in fact i watched about ten minutes and changed the channel.

[countryjake]

46. Has Maher stated that taxpayers shouldn't be required to pay for...

single, horny college girls wishing to engage in promiscuity?

Has Maher implied that women should NEVER have sex, unless they intend to reproduce?

Has Maher pretended that the left are hypocrites for expressing outrage over the blatant attack that right wing-nuts are waging against the women of this nation?

I've never watched Maher's program and I don't intend to, anytime soon, but no, a boycott of "Real Time" would not do much to stop the current steamrolling that Republicans are engaged in, in their drive to send Women's Rights back to the Stone Age.

Are YOU cool with vile mouthpieces of Rethug idealogy, like Limbaugh, Palin, or Beck, trying desperately to deflect criticism of their obvious war on women?

[Dr. Strange]

53. No, Maher says that you should accept Limbaugh's apology.

[DutchLiberal]

72. Maher says something I don't agree with! The horror!

Seriously, if I had to boycott Maher everytime I didn't agree with him...

I didn't agree with him on his initial stances on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and Venezuela (he has come around on those) and I still don't agree with him on capital punishment, but why should we shut out everybody we don't agree with 100%?

[sofa king]

49. Conservatives are free to target his advertisers!

Of which there are none, but that will be a long and painful learning process for them.

[phleshdef]

55. No. I disagree with Bill on Limbaugh, but I'll still be watching Real Time every week.

Its one of the best political shows on television. Theres no way I'm gonna not watch it.

[LadyHawkAZ]

57. I already do

and it has nothing to do with Limbaugh. I find him repulsive so I don't watch.

Kinda a shame, because I loved Religulous and agree with him on a lot of issues. I just find his humor to be not very humorous.

[TheKentuckian]

63. Not from my end but I'm not looking to find equilivents for the "fair and balanced" schtick.

[GeorgeGist]

64. Yes

I boycott all of his sponsors.

[MrSlayer]

65. No. Why should there be?

Besides, the only way to boycott is not to watch his show and I certainly will not be joining in that.

[LoZoccolo]

66. He said that people should accept Rush Limbaugh's apology.

[MrSlayer]

73. And that is grounds for boycott?

It's grounds for me to say I think he's wrong but is not a boycott level offense.

[TeamsterDem]

67. No

[bluedigger]

68. No.

I don't agree with his tweets re: Rush, but he has been on the receiving end of this sort of thing himself, and probably has a bit different perspective on it. I expect he will share that in more depth than tweets allow in the near future.

[cherokeeprogressive]

74. Other than the fact I wouldn't cross the street to piss on him if he were on fire...

I'm conflicted about whether or not to boycott him.

[Iggo]

75. Boycott his sponsors and get him the hell off the public airwaves!!!

Dammit.

[Honeycombe8]

77. Did Maher call a private citizen woman a slut&prostitute & say he wanted to see videos of her

having sex?

Was Maher the defacto head of the Democratic Party at the time he said those things?

If so, then yes, he should be boycotted. If not, then no.

[LoZoccolo]

78. He said that people should accept Rush Limbaugh's apology.

[Honeycombe8]

79. I know. I heard. He's probably relating to the situation, since he's been cancelled for statements

And he's a bit sexist.

But he's not the one who did the deed, as they say. And he didn't say Limpballs was right in what he said. So, no, I wouldn't boycot him.

[Comrade Grumpy]

82. Useless and counterproductive OP from LoZoccolo. Now, that's a shocker!

[kctim]

83. No

Maher is more of a leftist so his words and actions are excusable.

[tsuki]

84. Doesn't matter because HBO is boycotting me. nt

[Islandlife]

85. That was just Bill being Bill.

Perhaps we are able to accept his vulgarities and ad homonem arguments because we hold Bill to a "lesser" standard of reporting.